Tumbling into Oblivion
by mads-choir-girl
Summary: Avy and Beth just wanted to visit their dads, who are in the military. But things spiral downward, literally, as their plane crashes, leaving a whole boys' military academy stranded on an island heaven knows where. Will they survive enough to get rescued, or will their existence tumble into oblivion? Roger/OC & some Ralph/OC. Rated T for language, sexual content, and sadisticness.
1. Chapter 1

Okay hey guys :D yes, it's another girl-on-the-island story, but I read this freshman year and fell in LOVE with it, unlike everyone else.

Rated T for later chapters. Might have to change to M...depends on my mind...

I own nothing...William Golding, the wonderful creator of _Lord of the Flies_ does. Also, I must admit 100reasonswhy inspired this idea in my head.

Warning: Basically nothing for this chapter...later.

Note: Yes, I do four dots, not three. Judge me...

And I'll start naming chapters later.

Chapter 1

~Avy's POV~

_ I've got to get out of here._ I think as my roommate drones on about how the drains were once again clogged up with curly blonde hairs. This is the fourth time I've heard this lecture in the past three months. _Ugh. Kill me now._ Just as Kayla was about to start her "don't brush your hair in the shower" bit, someone knocks on the door. I smile smugly and proceed to get up and answer the door.

"Hey chica. What's up?" a loud voice shouts as the body that goes with it enters Kayla and I's dorm room. In walks a pale, lanky girl with shoulder-length, dark brown hair and chestnut eyes.

"Hey Kayla! Loving the ponytail!"

"Hey Beth." my roommate gripes, leaving the room.

"Geez, what got her cheeks in a pinch?" Beth asks, motioning to the next room. I shrug. "Huh. Anyway, ready to go?" I smile and nod, grabbing the suitcase feet. We walk down the long hallway leading to the lobby and out to the parking lot where her blue Camry sat waiting for us to hop in and drive to Southport. She pops the trunk open and throws my bag in, slamming it closed.

"Off to Southport to visit Daddy-kins!" I laugh as I sit in the recently cleaned car. After about thirty minutes of craziness, I ask, "Do you think Daddy-kins and my daddy will be happy to see me too?"

"Of course they will Avy. Why wouldn't they?" she frowns. "Aren't you excited? We haven't seen our dads in two years! Be excited!"

"I am! So where does this Gracie live?"

"IT lives in Liverpool." Beth groans. "It's such a hassle to go get her AND she's a brat. Only children are always brats."

"Why are we even picking her up?" I ask.

"Dad's friend is going to Manchester. I don't know why she didn't take Gracie, she has to go through Southport anyway." she says as she rolls her eyes.

"So where are we? Are we almost in Liverpool?" I ask. Just then, Beth takes a sharp right turn, snapping both of our necks.

"Sorry, her grandma's house is down this way." she apologizes, rubbing her neck. At exactly three miles per hour, we drive down the street, finally finding the house. We get out of the car and as we approach the door, Beth groans. "Here goes nothing." She rings the doorbell and a dog on the other side starts barking. An older woman open the door, not bothering to catch the large dog beneath her. The dog lunges at Beth's legs, ripping a hole in her tights. She screams in exasperation at the hole in her uniform tights and the reddening mark on her pale leg.

"Oh Tweety! Get back! Gracie! Time to leave!" the elderly woman shouts into the house. Stomping erupts above the grandmother's head and a girl presents herself.

"You can put your stuff in the car sweetie." I say, flashing a smile at the girl. She groans and stomps off.

"So where are you girls off to and where are you coming from?" the grandmother asks sweetly.

"We're going to Southport from Owestry." Beth answers and I smile as everyone does.

"It's beautiful there. Well, except for Moreton Hall. Boarding schools are the devil's missionary works on earth." the grandmother says with a disapproving frown. The smile on my face quickly disappears and Beth gasps, placing her hand on my arm. I force a smile back on my lips.

"Good day Ma'am." I sprint to the car and slam my door closed. Beth follows closely after.

"Avy, she didn't-"

"Just drive. Please." She nods and switches the car into reverse. After a little while, Beth breaks the silence.

"Do you mind driving the last forty-five minutes? My hands are starting to cramp up real bad."

"Yeah. If you drive over the bridge, then I can drive the last forty-five." I say, motioning to the bridge we were approaching. From the backseat, we hear a small whimper and I turn around.

"What's wrong Gracie?" I ask.

"I don't like bridges." she whispers, her eyes filled with tears. I unbuckle and quickly climb into the backseat. She reaches for me and I take her in my arms. She hides her face in my shoulder and I lightly rub her back. What seems like an eternity later, Beth pulls over at a gas station. I get out of the backseat and takes the driver's side, adjusting the seat to fit my short legs. Beth laughs and I just roll my eyes. I was waiting for the short joke that always came, but this time didn't.

We reach the military base and go through the first gate. They search the whole car, all of our suitcases, and us. They finally let us pass through the gate, giving us a parking pass. We park outside of the large electric gate and walk to the nearby pedestrian gate. On the other side of the narrow passageway, a group of soldiers are standing, laughing at an apparent joke told. They see us coming and one soldier, a tall, tanned being, flashed a very white and attractive smile at us.

"Hello ladies. Can I escort you anywhere?" he asks in a deep, seductive voice.

"Yes. I'm Beth Stoker and this is Avy Hollison and we've come to visit our dads, Sergeants Stoker and Hollison. They work with the Military Reformatory School for Minors." Beth says with the biggest, fakest smile I've ever seen. Another soldier hands us visitor passes as the first soldier chuckles and motions for us to follow him.

"So have you brought a new recruit, or does she need an introduction?" the soldier asks jokingly. He motions toward Gracie, who was being very quiet.

"This is Gracie. We're baby-sitting." Beth answers, a complete change of tone which went unnoticed by the soldier. He leads us through one more gate before he stops in front of a large grey building labeled "Military Reformatory School for Minors".

"Here you are ladies. Show them those passes and you should be home free. Oh and I'm Lance Corporal Shults if you should need me again." he says, waving to us. We make our way up to the entrance of the school which was heavily guarded. The guard on the left side of the door smiles at us and I immediately recognize him.

"Hello Sergeant Miller." I say as he reaches for the visitor pass to scan it.

"Hello Avabeth! It's nice to see you and Bethany! And a new face too!" he says as we pass through the doors and into the office. Mrs. Richardson, the receptionist for the school, looks up and smiles at us.

"Hello girls. How are you? I haven't seen either of you in so long!" she squeals, getting up from her desk and hugging us. We converse with her for a few minutes before stepping toward the door.

"We'll be back. Going to go see our dads." Beth says, hand on the door handle.

"Okay dears. Just a word of warning though: these boys are no longer twelve and neither are you. Just be on your guard and alert an adult if they do anything to you." Mrs. Richardson adds, her eyes fierce.

"Will do!" Beth says over her shoulder, halfway out the door into the hallway. The hallway smelled like boy, if that was even considered a smell. I could practically envision my dad and his classroom through the white concrete corner that stood between us. Just as we were about to be home free, not having to come in contact with the ignorant boys that attend the school, four of them round the corner. They were the same year as Beth and I and were the same age too. I just couldn't remember their names, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I stared at the white tiles in front of me, but as I look up, I see that they are all staring at us. Once they pass us, idioticly thinking we were out of ear-reach, they begin to talk quite loudly.

"Did you see them?"

"Duh I saw 'em. How could I not?"

"Dude, I'd take the blonde one to bed. She'd be-"

"Dudes, those are the sergeants' daughters."

"Which ones?"

"The tall one is Stoker's. The blonde is Hollison's, they look just alike."

"Wow guys are idiots." Beth whispers. I nod. We walk a little farther and reach Sergeant Stoker's room. Beth knocks and a booming voice yells for us to come in.

"Daddy!" she yells, running over to his desk. He stands up and hugs her.

"Hello baby girl. Hello Gracie. Hello Avy." he says, acknowledging me.

"Hi Sergeant St-"

"We've been over this Avy. You call me daddy-kins." The nickname earned a few laughs from the few boys that were in the class and Sergeant Stoker turns to them. "Who gave you permission to make noise? Hmm? No one? Alright then, that's what I thought." Turning back to us, he says, "Go see your dad. Before he has his meeting." We exit the room just as the same four boys from the hallway enter. They smirk as my cheeks turn a nice shade of pink, remembering what one of them said about me. I knock on my dad's door. A boy of twelve or so opens the door. He smiles at us and ushers us in. My dad looks up from his computer and smiles at us as he gets up.

"Hi Daddy!" I say as I rush over to hug him.

"Hello Angel. Hello LOUD angel." he says, chuckling at Beth, who I bet he could hear across the hall.

"Hey Sarge!" Beth says, beaming. Just then, Sgt. Stoker rushed in the room in a panic.

"Jay! Turn on the TV! Channel 3!" he yells. Daddy rushes to the television set in the corner of the room and turns it on. Pictures and sirens flash on the screen and he turns the volume up.

"I'm Leslie Banks and I'm here at the crossroads of A565 and Liverpool Road where a bomb of epic proportions has been discovered. Lieutenant Criss! Can you give us any general details?" the reporter says, catching an officer before he rushes to the scene.

"All I can say is that Korea is moved on from America and has matured in epic ways. Anyone within a 100 kilometer range of A565 and Liverpool Road needs to evacuate immediately!" the lieutenant speeds, running to the scene.

"Why weren't we informed earlier? We need to evacuate!" my dad shouts.

"I know. They're getting backpacks with clothes and food for all the kids and then they've got a plane heading to Dublin waiting outside." Sgt. Stoker says.

"What about the girls? Are they going to be able to have a backpack too?" Daddy asks.

"Yeah. They get food and an extra uniform. We're gonna put the three of them on the plane as well. I've got Colonel Addison ready to help them." Sgt. Stoker says pulling a tall, fair-skinned, fair-haired boy into the room. "Ralph, these are Beth, Avy, and Gracie. Take care of them, they're family."

"Yes sir." Ralph says, having a deeper voice than I expected. We all hug and they escort us to the cafeteria where some of the soldiers were handing out navy blue backpacks. Before I get in the line to grab one, my dad pulls me aside.

"Avabeth, I need you to be strong and take care of the boys. Especially the younger ones. I love you so much baby girl."

"I will. I love you too Daddy." I say, my eyes welling up with tears. I hug my dad and hurry over to Ralph who is waiting with Gracie. We wait a few more seconds for Beth, who won't let go of her dad. I rush over and pull her off, giving him a quick hug before we leave. She runs back and gives her dad one last hug before we receive our backpacks and are boarded on to the plane. Not even five minutes after everyone was on the plane, we had started take-off. At least half an hour passes before Gracie, Beth or I even attempt to make any sound, still afraid.

"Avy, are we gonna be okay?" Gracie asks from the seat to my left.

"Of course we are honey. We're just going to Dublin for a couple days until the problem is gone. Then we can go home." I sooth.

"A couple days? That's all I need Miss Hillson." the boy sitting across the aisle says. I look over at him. He was tall, as tall as Ralph. He had bright red hair that almost mesmerized me. Most red hair made me cringe, but his was a gorgeous, deep mix of crimson and copper.

"It's Hollison." I whisper, not wanting to provoke him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I apologize. I forgot. Abby, is it?" he asks with an undertone of mockery.

"Avy." I say. I keep eye contact somehow, watching the dangerous fire behind his smile.

"Avy. That's a pretty name. It matches a pretty girl. I don-" he starts, being cut off by Ralph.

"Shouldn't we have landed by now, Jack? Dublin is only forty-five minutes away by plane. It's been almost an hour and a half." he says with a hint of concern. The boy with red hair, Jack apparently, scoffs.

"Addison, chill the hell out. Listen, we left at 12:47. What time is it right now?" he says with a smirk.

"It's 2:13. I told you, an hour and a half." Ralph says, showing Jack the time on his phone. Jack's eyes widen and the corners of his mouth fall.

"Maybe there was something wrong...maybe-" he gets cut off by the sound of a loud clang. The plane jolts slightly downward and there are screams from some of the younger boys in the back. We feel the plane start a slow but steady plummet. Ralph, as panicked as can be on the inside, stands up.

"LISTEN UP! GRAB THE BACKPACK YOU WERE GIVEN AND WE NEED TO GET OFF THE PLANE NOW! FIND A FRIEND AND START HEADING TO THE FRONT TO JUMP OFF! ANYONE TOO AFRAID TO JUMP WILL BE PUSHED! LET'S GO!" Ralph barks over the sobs of some younger boys in the back. Beside me, Gracie starts to whimper and I hold her to me. I grab her backpack and put it on her shoulders, doing the same with my own. Beth grabs my trembling hand, her hand trembling as bad as mine. We make our way to the emergency exit in the front of the plane. Ralph, Jack and another boy were pushing the door open, trying not to fall out once they got it open. Ralph grabs my arm and pulls me to the opening. It seemed as though it was a vortex, a portal to another realm.

"GO NOW!" Ralph shouts over the screaming wind.

"I LOVE YOU AVY!" Beth screams, squeezing my hand.

"I LOVE YOU TOO BETH! AND GRACIE!" I scream, squeezing both of their hands as we jump, plummeting down, down, down.


	2. Chapter 2

Oh my goodness, thank you guys so much for all the views! 100+! That's amazing! It makes me feel special in a way. I'm trying to write as fast as I can because I know we all get peeved at those writers that take forever and a day to write a new chapter. Sorry...

Disclaimer: I don't own _Lord of the Flies_ or the story that I tell near the end of the chapter.

Warning: This chapter is rated T for language.

Note: Please review. It helps more than you can imagine. Also, the story I tell at the end is not for the faint of heart. A guy friend thought it would be funny to tell me the story and I honestly haven't been able to sleep since September 28...go ahead and laugh but it terrified the crap out of me and I already have anxiety!

I would like to thank Pandora, specifically Disney, Wicked, Hairspray, and Glee radios, for helping me through this chapter. A WHOLE NEW WORLD...

R&R and I will love you more than I already do! Thank you!

Chapter 2

It seemed like an eternity, falling from that high. Behind us, we could hear the screams of some of the boys as they jump or are pushed from the plummeting plane. A few seconds pass before I hear a humming sound. _What is-__BOOM!_

My thoughts are cut off as an explosion rings through the air. I wince as a shrill scream erupts from my best friend. I glance over to see a huge gash across her left arm and most of her chest. Seconds pass before we finally hit the cold, uninviting water below us. I kick my way up to the surface, bursting through to the humid air. I quickly gasp, thrashing around to find Gracie and Beth, who both surface soon after, gasping for the burnt air. I swim over to Beth and hook my arm around her waist to support her. I turn, looking for somewhere to swim to. My heart leaps for joy as I see a shore, only a kilometer or so away. I motion for Gracie to swim toward it and she nods, turning toward it.

As we reach the shore, I crawl, dragging Beth behind me. She coughs between her screams of pain. A few minutes pass before the screams stop, replaced by silent sobs into my shoulder. My stomach tightens with every shudder that ripples through her body. Her breathing finally calms and I sigh. Gracie tugs on my wet shirt sleeve and I turn.

"Avy, how are we gonna get home?"

"I don't-" My words are cut off by the loud, strong sound of a trumpet, or something very similar. When we heard the noise a second time, I stand up, holding out my hand for Beth.

"Where are we going?" she croaks, her voice ragged from her screams.

"That way. I want to find out what that noise was." I answer. She groans, but takes my hand and I help her up. We walk along the shore in the direction of the noise. As we reach the top of a hill, I see a head of familiar golden blonde hair and my heart leaps.

"Ralph?" I call, hoping he'd answer.

"Avy? Is that you?" he says, turning toward us. He runs to help me with Beth and Gracie grabs hold of my now vacant arm. He leans her against a tree in the shade. I remove my shoes and backpack, do the same with Beth and Gracie, and set them beside Beth under the tree. Over the hill, I see a group of boys approaching the spot we're standing in. At the head of the pack, I see a tall, red-haired boy.

"Ralph, who are they?" I ask, pointing toward the oncoming herd.

"Oh, that's Jack and his choir." he answers, looking back.

"Choir? I didn't know the academy had a choir."

"It's for any of the guys not in rugby or extra guard that want to get off campus. I think a couple of them can't even sing. Oh well, it wasn't my choice."

"Ralph, if I may-" suddenly says a short, large boy whom I hadn't noticed earlier.

"Addison! Was that you that blew the trumpet? Where the hell did you get a trumpet?" the boy named Jack shouts. He halts his choir, causing murmurs to erupt from the ten or so boys behind Jack. A small boy on the right side of the choir suddenly falls to the ground, earning an uproar from the boys.

"Oh, just put him against the tree in the shade. Always pulling a faint, that one." Jack orders, groaning. A couple of the older boys drag the unconscious boy into the shade, dropping him rather roughly.

"So, Jack, it wasn't a trumpet. It was this shell." Ralph answers.

"It's called a conch. My auntie says that if you blow in this end the right way, it'll make a beautiful noise-" the boy from earlier says, getting cut off by Jack.

"You're talking too much. Shuddup Fatty!" he taunts.

"His name isn't Fatty! It's Piggy!" Ralph shouts, laughing all the while. My stomach clenches at the sound of Ralph teasing such a seemingly sweet boy. I watch as he runs away in embarrassed shame.

"Stop it! Stop it all of you! I can't believe you all, how rude you're being!" I shout, turning to look every single boy in the eye. They all lower their heads in shame, except for two. Jack and another older boy laugh and Jack steps forward so that he is within centimeters of my face.

"Stupid bitch, you can't stop us." he growls, slapping me hard across the face. I hear everyone gasp and I turn to face Jack. I grit my teeth and bash the back of my hand into his cheek, making a louder noise than even I expected.

"I may not be able to stop you, but I damn well won't stand for it." I bark, not waiting for another response. I turn on my heel and follow the boy to talk to him. I finally find him sitting on the shore a couple meters away.

"Hey." I say as I finally reach him. He glances up, then resumes playing with the sand beside him.

"Are you here to make fun of me too?" he whispers. My heart breaks a little as I watch a tear slip down his nose and into the sand below.

"Of course not. I would like to know your name." I say quietly.

"Haven't ya got ears? You heard them back there. It's Piggy." he answers coldly. I shake my head.

"No silly. That isn't your name. I want to know your actual name." I reply. He looks up at me and I sit down beside him.

"Nathaniel. Nathaniel Swinson. But it doesn't matter 'cause everyone is gonna call me Piggy anyway." he slumps.

"I won't. I'm Avy. And trust me, Ralph isn't going to get away with this without a little guilt trip and torture." I smirk. Nathaniel laughs and I get up.

"It was nice to meet you Avy. Thank you." he says.

"It wasn't a choice. I had to. It was what was right. And if it involved slapping that awful Jack in the face, I was on board from the moment I could." I chuckle.

"Pardon me, but I've got to go check on my friend. Bye, Nathaniel." I say, turning to go tend to Beth. She hadn't moved from the tree she was under. Gracie was sitting next to her, holding her hand. When she sees me, she sits up a bit straighter.

"Avy, she's still bleeding. A lot." Gracie says, concerned. She motions to Beth, who is breathing heavily. I bend down and take off her blouse, leaving her in her undershirt.

"What're ya doing?" she rasps, coughing.

"Making bandages. It'll help the bleeding. Gracie, please go ask Ralph if he has any water she can drink. You, stay still while I get salt water." I order, pointing at Beth. Gracie nods and scurries off to find Ralph. I find an empty coconut shell on the shore and fill it with ocean water. I wash the dried blood away from her wounds and dressed them with strips of her blouse. Gracie finally returns with two coconut shells full of water. She gives the first one to Beth, who happily gulps it down. She then offers the second shell to me.

"You drink it hun. I'll be alright." I say.

"I've already had one. Ralph said to give it to you." she replies, handing me the shell. I take it from her and drink the cool liquid, not realizing how dry my throat was. I thank her. As the sky began to darken, we decide to go find the boys. We find them in a circle around a fire. As we get closer, I see something on a rack above the fire.

"Ahh, the ladies finally decided to join the party. We were just about to slice open the catch of the day. Have a seat and relax." Jack says, conveying his apparent lack of anger toward me. Ralph pats the space next to him and I sit. Beth and Gracie sit in front of me on the surprisingly soft grass. Jack distributes the meat to everyone. As he hands me my portion, he hesitates to release the meat until I meet his eyes. I lift my head to look into his eyes. They were a deep, rich brown that looked black in the shadow of the fire. He mouths an apology to me, then hands me my food. I nod, thanking him for the apology and the food. As we near the end of eating, a younger boy asked if we could tell stories. An older boy replied that we could tell stories only if they were scary. I've got to admit, I clung to Ralph throughout most of them. But as soon as the twelfth story ended, Ralph announced that this next story would be the final story.

"I think Roger should tell a story. He can really get the adrenaline going." Jack suggests. Ralph shrugs, sitting down. An older boy across the circle clears his throat. He was one of the boys from the corridor when we arrived at the academy. He finds my eyes, staring at me as he begins.

"This is the story of Drip, Drip, Drip. I guarantee none of you have heard this before. It's a true story. There once was a little girl. Her mother was an Italian model, gorgeous as anything. Her dad was in the British army. The little girl was the spitting image of her mama with a hint of her daddy. At age 3, the girl's mother died of overdose. Her father took off from the army to spend time with his daughter. When she was 12, she got a puppy that made her feel safe and not so alone. She would have her dog lick her hand every time she wanted assurance and a safe feeling. A year later, one night, the girl's father was at a party and she was left alone at home. She left her dog on her bed and took a shower. When she returned, the dog was already under the covers, so she hopped in bed and reached under the blanket and the dog licked her hand. She had dozed off and suddenly she heard a faint _drip, drip, drip. _Confused, she got up and checked the bath and sink faucets in the two bathrooms. No longer hearing the dripping, she climbed back in bed, letting her dog lick her hand again. Not two minutes later, she heard the noise again. _Drip, drip, drip._ She got up a second time and checked the kitchen sink. Not being the source, she went back to bed. Once more, she let her dog lick her hand. She began to doze again when for the third time, she heard the _drip, drip, drip._ She gets up and goes to check the last possible place that the noise might have been coming from: the sink in the basement. She turned on the light and walked down the stairs. She checks the faucet to the sink. Still hearing the noise, she decides to go back upstairs and turns around. She once again hears the _drip, drip, drip. _She looks up from where she heard it and sees the bloody carcass of her dog, dripping blood. _Drip, drip, drip. _On the wall behind it, written in blood, read four words: PEOPLE CAN LICK TOO."


	3. Chapter 3

Hello lovelies! How are you? I just wrote Chapter 3 and I have no clue how. Anyhow, I got it up quick and I hope you like. If you don't, tell me what you didn't like and I'll try to improve. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing and I love you all.

Disclaimer: I still don't own _Lord of the Flies_. Sad face...

Warning: I can't remember. There might be language. Probably some dark themes.

Note: No, that story didn't actually happen to me. I can't stop thinking about it and I just incorporated it into my story. I'm sorry. Also, I've had this chapter written up for days. I've been with family, which includes nosy cousins. No matter, I love them. Also, I'm trying to figure out who I am. I'm writing it out to help people know who I am. Maybe I'll post it so you can get to know me. Have I forgotten something? Hmmmm...

Chapter 3

~Ralph's POV~

I shiver as Roger finishes his story. I try to shift, but on my left arm, Avy is clinging to me with a death grip. I shake my arm a bit, but to no avail because her grip doesn't loosen at all. I look over at her. Her face is white, clear of all colors, even the orange glow of the fire. She is shaking, fiercely and her eyes are scared, fixed on one spot. I follow her line of vision, landing on one person: Roger. He is returning the fixed stare and a deadly gleam plagues his eyes. He smirks and her grip somehow tightens.

"I-i...excuse me, I think I'm going to be sick." she whispers, finally releasing her grip on my arm. She runs off into the creepers and I look at Beth. She shrugs and I go to follow Avy. I listen for her footfall as she runs as it seems without end. I watch as she reaches the other side of the creepers before she drops to the ground. I hear retching and wet coughs and I cringe, rushing over to her.

"Avy, are you alright?" I ask quietly. She jumps, not expecting that anyone had followed her.

"N-no. No, I'm not alright. I won't ever be 'alright'." she sniffles, spitting to clear her mouth.

"It was just a story. It isn't real-"

"Didn't you hear what he said?! Don't you remember the warning?!" she shouts, clutching her stomach.

"No, I'm sorry. Do you mind repeating so?" I say as calmly as I can, hoping it would calm her down as well. She exhales slowly, composing herself.

"He said...it was a true story. That...no one...had heard before. And...it is true." she says, staring at the ground. I frown.

"How do you know it's true then? He said no one had heard the story before." I say, confused. She chuckles weakly, running shivers up my spine.

"Yeah, I haven't heard it. I've never heard it. I've told it before."

"How have you told it but not heard it?" I'm so confused at this point. She isn't making any sense.

"The reason I've told but never heard is because I lived it."

~Avy's POV~

I watch as his face falls.

"You're joking. Very funny." he laughs, with a hint of horrified behind it. I raise my head to look him in the eye .

"I'm not joking. Why would I joke about that?" I say.

"I...ummm..." he stutters.

"How long have you been at the academy?" I ask.

"Since Year 1. I've known most of these kids since then."

"Alright. Then tell me. Was there ever a time when my dad wasn't there? When you had a replacement Sergeant?"

"Uhhhh yeah, I think so. It was in Year 9."

"Okay. The girl in the story was thirteen. She would have been in Year 9. I'm fifteen. In Year 11. In Year 9, my dad took off. Did they tell you all why?"

"I think they said family emergency. We were confused because his wife is no longer suffering from life...oh my God, that is you!" he realizes. I nod.

"Why did that happen to you? Who would do that?" he half-shouts.

"I don't know. But I have a question for you." I say. He nods and I assume that means that I can ask.

"What would you have done if your hand had been...LICKED...by someone. What would you do if you were me?"

"I dunno. Probably wash my hand a lot. Why?" he says, frowning.

"Because I want you to realize I'm telling the truth. Because I've tried everything. I've washed my hand so much to the point where it bled. I've cut the skin to try and cover up the dirty, the sick skin. I've scratched, I've cleaned, I've done ANYTHING to try to forget, to cleanse myself of that...NIGHTMARE...the nightmare that won't go away. The nightmare only one person knew. Now thirty little boys know. They've been picked up and dropped into a world of nightmares and horror that only I had experienced. And...that...terrifies me." I sigh and I can't take the pressure anymore. I thought I had finally been able to forget, to move on in the outside world. I exhale a sob and after that, I couldn't stop. Ralph drops to my side, wrapping his arms around my small frame. I sob into his shoulder and he rubs my back in an attempt to calm me down.

"Avy, I didn't realize how strong you are and how much you can handle. It...kinda intimidates me. Trust me, I will never ever let anything happen to you. Ever." he whispers. I sniffle and he cups my chin in his hand. He lifts my face so that my eyes meet his and before I could say a word, his lips meet mine. As we kiss, only one thing is running through my mind: Ralph, what have you done?


End file.
